REGIONS DIRECTED: START CLOUD-SEEDING

By Manny Piñol

Flying over Bulacan this morning enroute to Isabela and Nueva Ecija to check on the buying operations of the National Food Authority (NFA), I saw cloud formations over an arid landscape.

I asked Archie Po, a friend and motorcyle-riding buddy of President Rody Duterte whose R44 helicopter I borrowed for today’s trip, if the cloud formations were sufficient for a cloud-seeding operations.

Archie said the cloud formations may not be heavy enough for a cloud seeding operations but he said that continuous monitoring should be conducted.

“Dapat tamang timing para kapag nasa taas ng La Mesa Dam ang clouds, tirahin na para bumuhos ang ulan,” said Archie, a veteran helicopter pilot who owns Lion Air.

Following Archie’s advise, I immediately fired off a directive to Operations Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan of the Department of Agriculture to order the DA Regional Offices to implement cloud seeding operations.

Usec Cayanan was also directed to coordinate with the Philippine Air Force for the cloud-seeding operations over Bulacan, Pampanga and Rizal to fill up La Mesa Dam.

As early as last year, funds were already transferred to the Regional Offices and the Philippine Air Force for cloud-seeding operations in preparation for the El Niño.

#PreparedAndReady!

#ProActiveNotReactive!